Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

Merry late Christmas. This year took me a while to get back in the swing of things after the Holidays. Hence, the Christmas post of 2010 is being posted half way through January 2011.

Christmas Eve festivities!

Included the usual get together at Grammy's house.

We swapped our family gifts, and the kids had a blast "helping" opening presents, or playing with the gifts they received. Almost everyone was here! But we missed Ky and Mike and Sky who couldn't come because Kylie was close to due with tiny soon to be born Harper. :)

New clothing always brings out the inner model in Uncle Nick.

Crew kept following Grandpa and trying to drink his drinks and eat his food.

He even got a shoulder ride!

No fair! Next year it's my turn Dad! ;)

Christmas Morning!

We slept in until almost 6:00 AM this year!

Laney freaked out with EVERY present she opened.

Giant eyes and opened mouth for each and every one.

We probably could have just given her toys she already had

and she would have acted just as excited.

The most popular gift 2010, SQUEANKIES.

Even Josh played with them.

Crew boy slept in until about 7:30. When he woke up to chaos and presents, he joined in the fun immediately. He even knew that this car was for him!

Laney had asked for a phone, computer and a camera.

She got a leapster explorer and I think she was pleased.

Christmas night, my family came over. Since Nick will be turning 16 this year, he took a test drive in Crew's car.

Crew didn't like it.

I decided to try out long hair for a few minutes.

(Courtesy of Alex's clip-in hair extensions)

Laney tried it too!

And got embarrassed when I took pictures. :)

After everyone was gone...this is what was left downstairs.

A big mess and tired people.

(Laney is peaking one eye at everyone, I love it).

Laney's new best friend.

I am not sure if we have narrowed her name down yet...

It is either Jewels 2 (Kadie's is Jewels), Cynthia, or Flowerly.

Merry Christmas!

This last year of 2010 was one of the fullest we have known!

Crew Boy!

• learned how to walk and immediately began RUNNING and JUMPING!!!
• words so far:

mama

daddeeeee!

Dee Dee (Kadie)

Nay Nee (Laney)

Mineeeeey! (Mine)

no no no! (while pointing his finger and smiling)

awe (putting his head to the side when something is cute)

joo (juice)

ha dah (hotdog)

• Crew also knows to fold his arms in prayer and he dances to all kinds of music
• He gives the sweetest little kisses, and he has a baby doll.
• He is a monkey and climbs on EVERYTHING, and breaks most things he throws.
• Crew stole the title of Messiest from Laney, and probably also owns the title of best tantrum thrower. We will continue watching him closely in 2011. :)

Laney

• Learned to write her first name as well as f-o-x, c-a-t, l-o-v-e, n-o, y-e-s, t-o, and m-o-m and d-a-d. She leaves notes everywhere in the house.
• She is always right at my feet when I am upset about something telling me she loves me.
• Laney LOVES flash cards. Any and all kinds!
• Laney discovered the world of girly toys and things this year. She still has a special love of dinosaurs, but she and Kadie play all sorts of princess and fairy games.
• Laney has also started "crafting" with her sister after school.
• Laney still owns the title of Most Curious child, but Crew is a close match!

Kadie

• Kadie became a big kid in my eyes this year which really makes me happy and sad at the same time. :) :( But mostly happy. :)
• Kadie was baptized this year, she pays tithing, and she reminds me now of family prayer, scripture study and family home evening. I even put her in charge of one lesson and she is a natural at teaching!
• Kadie's favorite thing in the world is NATURE. Anything and everything about it.
• Kadie changes her brothers diaper sometimes, she even offers to vacuum on occasion.
• Kadie is a WIZ at math and loves it almost as much as her Daddy. She rarely comes home missing more than one problem on her math or spelling tests.
• Kadie has even dabbled in jewelry design this year, and wears one of her most recent bracelets almost every day.
• She wants to be a mom when she grows up, and I think she will be such a patient mother.
• Kadie still wins the award for Most Dramatic in our family, and she can add a touch of Sassy to the mix most days.

Josh and Leisa

Leisa started a few new hobbies this year including party throwing and her Sassy Pepper blog. She discovered a new obsession with organizing, which doesn't last long with an 8, 4 and 1 year old. Instead of trying to be the perfect mom this year, she tried being more fun, and the kids voted to keep the fun. :) Leisa is also in the Primary Presidency as an intern... I mean, counselor. She now knows the secret to making it all work at church is just that...a SECRET that she hasn't discovered yet! :) Leisa wins title of Most Crazy, but a good crazy, not "crazy" crazy,

at least not yet.

Josh was so blessed to be given the opportunity to go back to what he loves again for a career. Josh is now an Audit manager with a full staff at PWC and absolutely loves it. His engagements include Twitter and Zip Realty! Somehow, he still finds time to play the Wii with Kadie, bake cookies with Laney and wrestle with Crew. We are back to our old schedule of working hard in the week and playing twice as hard on the weekend! I think Josh deserves the award of Most Thoughtful because although he is overworked and underpaid...he does anything I ask, even without the asking.

This upcoming May will mark 10 years in our marriage! And we plan on celebrating in style.

We want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope that your year to come is full of joy and happiness. We also are so thankful for all of you, and most of all our Savior.

With Love,

Josh, Leisa, Kadie (8), Laney (4.75), and Crew (1.5)

Christmas Morning

Christmas Morning was so much fun.  I just love how the girls hair is all messed up, and they are rubbing their eyes like what they see isn't really there.

Josh and I thought for sure that the girls would be up around 5:30 or 6:00.  So at 6:20 I shot up in bed!  Josh said "what"? and I looked at the clock and said "OH, it is 6:20, the girls slept in a little."  Then I laid back down just in time to see Kadie wander past our bedroom.

Moments later she was at the bedside shaking us telling us Santa had come.

We had a hard time waking Laney up.  We sat her up in bed, and she fell over.  We rolled her onto her back and she rolled back onto her tummy.  But there was no stopping Kadie from getting things rolling.  We finally carried Laney out to the family room, and she woke up when she heard how excited Kadie was. 

Only one melt down from Laney about the last present being Kadie's to unwrap.  

We will remember that next year. :)

Ward Christmas Party

Holiday party...Mormon style.  Lots of food, kids and craziness.  We actually stayed for the entire program this year because Kadie was dressed like an angel for the little program that the primary kids did for the adults. 

 

Kadie was excited to tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas.  (An American girl doll!).  She is convinced that she has been a good girl and will get what she want. :)

Laney was too afraid of Santa, but was very in love with this brownie!

This is my "Josh will you please stop taking pictures of me" look.

And Natalie T. below me, giving her husband Steve the same look. :)

And Jason A. below that posing for the camera!

The Primary kids were so cute all dressed as Angels and Shepherds.  I think Laney was trying to be the shining star in the picture below.  ???

Early Christmas for Josh!

Men are the hardest to buy for aren't they? I have NOTHING to surprise Josh with. He pretty much knows all of what he is getting. And I have been a little preoccupied with what this little being inside me will be like.

Yesterday Josh and I went to the doctor. Look at this cute tiny baby!

It was fun to see the baby wiggle around, and find out everything looks good so far. I am a bit of a worrier.

For Christmas this year, I was somehow able to sneak in a little gift of testosterone, despite my strange dreams of having twin girls!

Can you tell what Josh and I are getting a few months after Christmas this year?

Happy Boy Day!!!

Temple Lights

This Christmas is coming up way too fast...I feel like it is going to slam right into me and knock me over! That is how fast it is coming.

We took a little trip to the Oakland temple Sunday night to see the lights, and it was so much fun for the girls. Laney was more interested in throwing rocks from the water, or trying to climb on stage with the baby Jesus, just the usual.

Merry Christmas!